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Greetings GraceLife!

This past Sunday was a powerful day in the life of our church as Pastor Joe brought a special message celebrating our Summer Baptisms! Drawing from Acts 2 and Acts 16, Pastor Joe reminded us that the New Testament is filled with stories of people hearing the gospel, believing in Jesus, and being baptized into the visible covenant community of faith.

We had the privilege of celebrating both adults publicly professing their personal faith in Christ and believers bringing their children to receive the sign of God's covenant promises. As Pastor Joe reminded us, the water itself does not save us—Jesus saves us! Baptism is the sign Christ gave His church to point us toward His cleansing grace, His covenant promises, and our new identity together. God never called us to follow Him in isolation, but gathered us into one church family to help one another follow the Lamb wherever He leads. If you missed this special service or want to listen again, please visit the "Messages" tab on our website.

This Week at GraceLife

August 11th (Tuesday)

  • Recovery Church at Mount Lockwood: Food served at 6:30 PM; meeting runs from 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
  • Adult Mid-Week Bible Study Resumes: Our Mid-Week Adult Bible Study resumes this week as we begin a seven-week journey through the book of 2 Peter! Join us at 7:00 PM in Mount Beneva Gym Classroom 201B/C.

August 12th (Wednesday)

  • "Captivating" Women’s Home-Based Study: Meeting this week! Contact Connie Daidone for details.
  • Sisters in Prayer: 7:00 PM at Mount Beneva Fellowship Corner.

August 13th (Thursday)

  • Ladies’ Bible Study ("Women of the Old Testament"): Led by Beth Lawson, 10:15 AM – 12:00 PM, Mount Beneva Gym Classroom 201B/C.
  • Deep End Dinner & Bible Study: 7:00 PM at Mount Lockwood.
  • Kairos Cookie Collection: Collection day for our 1-day Kairos Prison Ministry event! Thank you to everyone who signed up to bake cookies.

August 15th (Saturday)

  • Men’s Bible Study: 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM in Mount Beneva Gym Classroom 201B/C. Join us for learning and fellowship!

August 16th (Sunday) at Mount Beneva

  • 8:15 AM – 8:30 AM: Open Leadership Prayer Time (Room 106)
  • 9:00 AM & 10:30 AM: Worship Services (Auditorium/Sanctuary)
  • 10:15 AM – 11:30 AM: Adult Christian Education Class ("Biblical Love" taught by Jeff Lawson & Mike Hamel in Gym 201B/C) & GL Students Class (Gym Loft)
  • 10:45 AM – 11:30 AM: GL Kids Classes (Infant–5th Grade, Children's Wing)
  • 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM: GL Students Evening Gathering (Gym Loft, Grades 6–12)

August 17th (Monday)

  • GraceLife Recovery at Mount Lockwood: Meets every Monday! Pizza is served at 6:30 PM, and the meeting starts at 7:00 PM. A food pantry is available for meeting attendees starting at 7:45 PM.

Looking Ahead

  • August 23rd (Sunday) – Church Family / Congregational Meeting: Please join us at 11:40 AM in the MB Auditorium/Sanctuary to finalize terms of call for Pastor Joe and Pastor Keith as we move forward together toward transitioning membership in our Presbytery.

Stewardship Thoughts

As we saw during our baptism service, true Christian stewardship begins with recognizing that our lives and our families belong to God. We do not walk in isolation or manage our resources for private gain; rather, we hold our time, talent, and treasure in service to the King and His covenant community:

  • Offering our lives publicly and unashamedly to Christ,
  • Investing in the spiritual growth and nurture of the next generation,
  • Using our gifts to build up the church family rather than walking in isolation,
  • Demonstrating trust in God's promises through faithful, cheerful giving, and
  • Committing our resources to proclaim the good news of Jesus to our community.

Ministry Highlights & Ongoing Opportunities

God has gathered us together into one family so that we can encourage and serve one another. Consider where you can plug in and serve this week:

  • GL Students Ministry (Grades 6–12): Join us in the Loft (upstairs Mount Beneva Gym) Sundays from 10:15 AM – 11:30 AM for Sunday School, and 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM for our evening gathering!
  • Volunteers Needed:
    • Hospitality Ministry: Assist with coffee/donuts for morning services or event prep/clean-up. Reply to this email to sign up!
    • Children's Ministry: Caregivers and teachers needed on Sunday mornings. Stop by the Connection Center or contact Jackie.
    • Greeters & Connection Center: Welcome team members needed for both 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM services. Stop by the Connection Center to serve!

Sunday Mornings at Mount Beneva

  • Parking: Please let us know of any parking issues you may have.
  • Lobby & Greeters: Greeters are available to welcome and assist you. Visit the Connection Center for questions, sign-ups, books, t-shirts, and nametags.
  • Hospitality: Enjoy complimentary coffee, tea, and pastries refreshed throughout the morning. Please bring only lidded beverages into the auditorium/sanctuary.
  • Leadership Prayer: Open prayer time in Room 106 from 8:15 AM – 8:30 AM.
  • Worship Services: Held in the auditorium/sanctuary at 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM.
  • Christian Education: 10:15 AM – 11:30 AM for Adults and GL Students; 10:45 AM – 11:30 AM for GL Kids.

Group Prayer Opportunities

  • Leadership Prayer Time: Sundays from 8:15 AM – 8:30 AM in Room 106.
  • Sisters in Prayer: Wednesdays at 7:00 PM at Mount Beneva Fellowship Corner.
  • Prayer Chain Requests: Submit requests via Prayer Request Form, email, text, or verbal request to leadership or the Admin Team.

Ways to Give

  • In-Person: Cash or check during Sunday worship services.
  • Bank Bill Pay: Set up recurring or one-time giving through your bank.
  • GraceLife App / Website: Click "Give" (redirects to Tithely) to give online.